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"Elecom - Leading Accessory from the Front" ELECOM has been leading the PC and AV accessory markets in Japan for years. The company has a subsidiary in Europe, ednet GmbH, which makes ELECOM products available to a worldwide market, including Europe, Russia and the Middle East countries. ELECOM also has an expanding business in Asian countries through subsidiaries and sales partners. Mobility Magazine talks with Manjul Agrawal, Director, Elecom India Private Limited about the compoany’s present and future plans for the region. Q) How do you look at the growing opportunity in the tablet accessory segment of India? ELECOM: The Indian Tablet market is expected to touch 1.6 Million units in the current Fiscal Year and poised to grow to 7.3 Million units by 2015-16 as per MAIT. Smartphones & Tablet PCs are gradually emerging as the preferred mode for Internet Access, Social Networking and Multimedia Interaction. With this rapid adoption and proliferation of Tablets, we are also projecting an upward trajectory trend in the Tablet Accessory space in India. ELECOM has enjoyed tremendous success in the Tablet Accessory segment in developed markets like Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, and we are looking forward to replicate this in India as well.
Accessories & Peripherals are still perceived widely as a cheap add-on to the Device, however many consumers overlook the fact that low quality accessories can enhance the risk factors for a high-end / expensive Tablet. For example, a Tablet Sleeve/Case and a Screen Protective Film, not only enhance the overall look of the Device, but also provide with crucial protection against shock and environmental elements like Dust. Another challenge is the lack of awareness of new technologies like ‘Near Field Communications’ and ‘Bluetooth 4.0’ that are being embedded in all new high-end Devices. Lack of available accessories for these technologies will limit the Device usability. High power consumption and low battery life of these Devices is also a major issue that we foresee in this space.
Q) How big would be this market segment? And what is your market share here? ELECOM: ELECOM enjoys the Number 1 market share in this segment in Japan and Korea. We are rapidly expanding our product portfolio, with 70% of our new products targeting Smartphones and Tablet PCs.
Q) How can these challenges be overcome? ELECOM: It is imperative that consumers think and research before buying accessories, particularly products to enhance device protection. Accessories & Peripherals also need to be treated as equally critical products as the Device itself, and we would like to encourage our users not to compromise on the quality of the Accessories for their expensive Tablets. For example, a Tablet's Body and/or Screen, if damaged, cannot be easily repaired or
Q) What are some of the big challenges that lie ahead in this space? ELECOM: One of the major challenges that we foresee is the lack of consumer awareness about the Tablet Accessories. Today, a Tablet Device demands its own ecosystem of products, just like a traditional PC, which can only be sufficed with the availability of a complete range of compatible products. 16 | November 2012
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worse the entire device needs to be replaced. This risk can be reduced by using high quality accessories from ELECOM like our ‘Zero-Shock’ Tablet Sleeves and ‘Zero-Bubble’ Protective Films. ELECOM prides itself in staying ahead of the technology curve, and we have recently introduced the World’s First Near Field Communications Keyboard along with a wide range of other Accessories to complete the Tablet ecosystem, and enhance the Device usage. Again, an increase in awareness of available Accessories and enhanced usage of the Tablet devices can help overcome the challenges mentioned above. Q) What are your product offerings in this space? Please share some of your USPs in this segment? ELECOM: We offer a complete ecosystem of products custom built for Smartphones & Tablets, incorporating the latest available technologies. Our Product Portfolio includes Tablet Sleeves & Cases, Covers, Screen Protective Films, External Bluetooth Keyboards, Tablet Stands, Portable Battery
Chargers, and Multimedia Products like Bluetooth Earphones, Headphones & Speakers amongst others. In addition to introducing the World’s First Near Field Communications Keyboard, we have also introduced India’s first Laser Projection ‘Virtual’ Keyboard for Android & Apple Devices. Q) What are your plans to launch more tablet accessories in India? ELECOM: As mentioned earlier, we are rapidly expanding our product portfolio for India, with 70% of the new products targeting Smartphones and Tablet PCs. We shall continue to introduce many ‘India-First’ products in parallel to our Japan product launches. Our commitment to the high level of end-user satisfaction results in our unique and wide range of products with a perfect combination of smart design and cutting-edge technology, which can be seen at the ELECOM EXPERIENCE WORLD in Nehru Place, New Delhi.
maintain or grow average selling prices across the category. Smart Wireless Accessory Market to Surpass 100m Units by 2017 Consumer Electronics, Payment Mechanisms, Fitness and Healthcare to drive demand for smart accessories Smart devices that link to the handset to carry out specific tasks will become a major new market for hardware manufacturers over the next five years opine most of the telecom experts working closely with the industry. A market research report by Juniper forecasts that sales of app enabled devices will rise sharply to over 100 million units by 2017, from just over 10 million at the end of 2012. Services will range from payment processing to monitoring individuals’ healthcare. Revolutionary Influence Juniper Research finds that App-enabled devices will create new business processes in several sectors by capitalising upon the smartphone’s strengths- processing power and mobility. • For mobile payments, a smartphone payment reader can challenge more bulky POS devices through a simpler, more user-friendly service proposition. Thus allowing start-ups to take on global players like Verifone. • In healthcare, meanwhile, app-enabled hardware for monitoring glucose levels and other vital signs are putting health decisions in the hands of the individual, thereby helping towards the adoption of mHealth by the medical establishment. App-enabled devices are the logical next step for the smartphone ecosystem and they tend to either fill a gap in the market or improve on what is already there. Further findings from the report include: • Fitness smart wireless accessories already have seen MOBILITY
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substantial take-up following initiatives by global brands such as Nike and smaller start-ups such as Jawbone UP. • Major retailers are allocating shelf-space to smart wireless accessories, particularly in the US. • “Freemium” and SaaS (software as a service) business models will emerge as the market for smart wireless accessories matures. The report finds that the market is creating opportunities for new-entrants, such as Square and iZettle in the payment market, and established players, such as the sportswear brand Nike, which has developed a range of wearable devices to monitor training sessions for the fitness sector.
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